ADHOC

Criminal justice plays a decisive role in the daily lives of both lawyers and litigants. Lawyers are called upon daily to defend the interests of their clients as well as to accompany them through the intricacies of criminal proceedings. The litigant may be required to play a role in criminal proceedings, as a victim, defendant or witness.

In other words, anyone can come across criminal justice in their lifetime. Indeed, criminal law is the branch of law that defines offences, classifies them according to their seriousness and sets their penalties. Criminal law must therefore be distinguished from civil law and administrative law.

Swiss criminal law distinguishes three categories of offenses, from the least serious to the most serious: contravention, misdemeanor and felony. Penal sanctions are proportional to the seriousness of the offence.

The application of criminal law is subject to highly regulated rules of procedure, defined in the Code of Criminal Procedure. This lays down the rules for the investigation and the criminal trial, as well as the organization, competence and functioning of the criminal judicial authorities. The accompaniment of a lawyer can thus prove to be imperative to navigate in this context and to benefit from an effective defence.

To better understand the course of a criminal procedure, it is necessary to distinguish the different stages:

The preliminary procedure is opened when there are suspicions that an offense has been committed. The criminal investigation is conducted by the Public Ministry following a criminal complaint or a denunciation or even a finding by the police. During his investigation, the Prosecutor will collect the necessary evidence in connection with the offense and its perpetrator. At the end of this procedure and when it considers that the investigation is complete, the Public Prosecutor may:

• Issue a classification order if he considers that the facts found do not constitute a criminal offence;
• Issue a penal order if he considers that the facts found constitute a criminal offense and does not intend to condemn the perpetrator to a sentence of more than six months;
• Refer the proceedings to the Court of First Instance if it considers that the facts established constitute a criminal offense and that it intends to request the conviction of its author to a sentence of more than six months - or when the defendant has objected to the penal order.

The first instance procedure directly follows the preliminary procedure. It begins when the Public Prosecutor refers the accusation to the Court of First Instance. At this stage, the Public Ministry loses its role as director of the procedure (responsible for the prosecution and defense investigation) to take on the role of party to the criminal proceedings in charge of supporting the accusation during the upcoming trial. At the end of this stage, the Tribunal renders its decision in the form of a judgement.

Any non-final decision of a criminal authority can - in principle - be contested by means of an appeal. The second instance procedure then begins.

The criminal law procedure code imposes a series of rights on the parties to the procedure, in particular and in a non-exhaustive manner:

• The right to be heard (art. 107ss CPP);
• The right to be informed;
• The right to the assistance of a defender of his choice;
• The right to legal advice (art. 127ss CPP);
• The right to participate in the procedure.

YOU ARE WARNED IN THE CONTEXT OF A CRIMINAL LAW PROCEDURE

A. You receive a warrant to appear

The warrant to appear (or summons to appear) is a mandatory summons to a hearing. It can be a summons for an investigation hearing (preliminary procedure) at the Public Prosecutor's Office or for a judgment (first instance procedure).

As mentioned, the warrant to appear is a mandatory summons and you are therefore required to comply with it under penalty of a fine and the issuance of a warrant to be brought by the police.

In case of impediment, supporting documents will be requested.

At the start of your first hearing, the public prosecutor or the police inform you that criminal proceedings are open against you and for which offence(s).

We strongly recommend that you be accompanied by a lawyer of choice or an ex officio lawyer (depending on your financial situation). Our lawyers support and defend you throughout the criminal proceedings.

B. Can I end up in detention?

Yes.

The Court of Compulsory Measures can order your detention on remand or on security grounds if you are strongly suspected of having committed a crime or misdemeanor and there is reason to fear that:

• you fled; Or
• you were colluding with the ongoing investigation; Or
• you commit a new offence.

There are ways to avoid such a measure. Our lawyers accompany you and defend you as well as possible in order to prevent a provisional detention measure from being imposed.

C. You receive a penalty order

The penal order constitutes a sentencing proposal made by the Public Prosecutor to the defendant, not subject to negotiation. If one of the parties does not agree with the content of the penal order, it can attack the latter by way of opposition which triggers the ordinary legal procedure before the Court of First Instance.

The time limit for filing an opposition to the penal order is ten days. It begins to run the day after notification of the penal order. The penal order is notified on the day the defendant becomes aware of it. If you do not collect the registered letter despite filing the notice of withdrawal by post, the ten-day period begins to run after the expiry of the 7-day post office retention period.

Note that with the penal order, the procedure is over and the parties do not need to appear at a hearing before the Tribunal. Thus, the penal order procedure is often faster and less expensive.

You are summoned before the Criminal Court of First Instance

Following an opposition to a penal order, the public prosecutor may decide to maintain his penal order and transfer the proceedings to the Criminal Court of First Instance.

The Criminal Court of First Instance will summon you to a debating hearing and decide freely before rendering its judgment.

It should be noted that the penalties of the Criminal Court of First Instance may be more severe than those of the Public Prosecutor.

If you do not appear at the trial hearing before the Criminal Court of First Instance, your opposition is deemed to be withdrawn. Thus, the penal order becomes immediately final and enforceable.

In all cases, we recommend that you contact a lawyer as soon as possible.

YOU ARE A WITNESS IN CRIMINAL PROCEEDINGS

You receive a summons to appear as a witness. Like the warrant to appear as a defendant, you are required to appear before the authority that summoned you. The only exception is for just cause, for example travel abroad or illness. Unlike the defendant, the witness is not informed - in principle - in advance of the purpose of his hearing in order to avoid preparation in advance.

As a witness, you are entitled to reimbursement of your travel expenses and to fair compensation.

As a witness, you must answer questions and tell the truth. In the event of false testimony, criminal proceedings may be opened against you.

YOU ARE A PERSON CALLED UPON TO PROVIDE INFORMATION IN THE CONTEXT OF CRIMINAL PROCEEDINGS

The status of person called to provide information (PADR) is a hybrid status between the accused and the witness. It often happens that a person is first interviewed by the police as a person called to give information and then as a witness or defendant afterwards.

Persons called upon to provide information are not required to give evidence. The complaining party is a special case of a person called upon to give information. She must then file.

YOU NEED A LAWYER BUT CANNOT AFFORD IT, WHAT SHOULD YOU DO?

All the cantons offer the possibility of applying for legal aid. You will be asked to complete a form on your personal situation and return it signed to the Public Prosecutor by post along with various annexes and documents. The prosecutor in charge of the procedure will communicate his decision to you in writing.

DO YOU WANT TO REPORT AN OFFENSE AND FILE A CRIMINAL COMPLAINT? ARE YOU THE VICTIM OF A CRIME?

Swiss criminal law distinguishes between two types of offence: offenses prosecuted ex officio and those prosecuted on complaint.

For example, the following offenses are prosecuted ex officio:

• homicide (including attempt, art.111-117 PC)
• serious bodily harm (art.122 CP)
• robbery (art.140 PC)
• coercion, including forced marriage or partnership (art. 181 and 181a PC)
• trafficking in human beings (art. 182 CC)
• confinement and kidnapping (art. 183 PC)
• hostage-taking (art. 185 PC)
• offenses against sexual integrity (art.187-193 PC)

and in the context of domestic violence only:

• repeated assault (art.126 al.2 CP)
• simple bodily harm (art.123 al.2 PC)
• threats (art.180 al.2 CP).
• The following offenses are prosecuted on complaint only:
• simple bodily injury or negligence (art. 123 and 125 PC)
• assault (art. 126 PC)
• threats (art. 180 PC)
• exhibitionism (art.194 PC)
• offenses against sexual integrity, inconvenience caused by confrontation with a sexual act (art. 198 CP).

Faced with an offense prosecuted ex officio, the criminal prosecution authorities initiate proceedings ex officio as soon as they become aware of the offense and even if no criminal complaint has been filed. It is nevertheless always advisable to file a criminal complaint even in the presence of an offense prosecuted ex officio in order in particular to assert your rights as an injured person.

In the event of an offense prosecuted on complaint only, a complaint is then necessary for the continuation of the criminal procedure. In such a case, as an injured person, you must therefore declare that you demand that the perpetrator of the offense be punished. If you subsequently withdraw your complaint, the withdrawal is final!

The criminal complaint must be filed with the police or the public prosecutor, in writing or orally. You can therefore either go to a police station to make your statement, or send a letter to the public prosecutor.

Note that there is a three-month time limit for filing a criminal complaint. It begins to run from the day you knew the perpetrator of the offence.

We strongly recommend that you call on a lawyer, especially in complex cases, so that he can best defend your rights.

You always have the right to defend yourself without a lawyer, but this can be tricky and difficult, especially when faced with an opposing party who is himself defended by a lawyer, except in minor cases.

A relationship of mutual trust with your lawyer is essential. You must feel comfortable, well defended, not afraid to raise all the questions which concern you, including those concerning the costs (advice and procedure).

Any victim has the right to legal aid (also called legal assistance) if they do not have private legal protection insurance or sufficient resources, if the assistance of a lawyer is considered necessary and if their approach has a chance of success.

Legal aid includes, in particular, exemption from advances and legal costs, as well as the fees of a lawyer if the court considers that the victim must be assisted.

Free legal aid will only be granted to you in the context of criminal proceedings if you are the plaintiff and you are asserting civil conclusions (compensation for damage, art. 136 CPP). However, legal assistance includes efforts made in criminal proceedings to establish the perpetrator's guilt, an essential step in obtaining reparation.

omplex and touching on various areas of law, labor and public service law are particularly difficult areas to understand and navigate.

However, in practice, the multidimensional issues arising from labor relations deeply affect the lives of employees and materially impact companies, administrations and employer entrepreneurs. Indeed, labor and public service law play a crucial role in all stages of the relationship between employers and employees: they support the hiring process, govern the collaborative relationship, and define the conditions for its termination.

Having good reflexes and knowing how legal rules work allows you to navigate quickly and efficiently through the critical stages of this subject.

To guide you through these legal issues and allow you to effectively address your challenges and achieve your goals, our lawyers and jurists assist you in:

• The legal analysis of your situation or of the steps envisaged;
• Drafting and reviewing documents such as employment contracts and staff regulations;
• Representation and pre-litigation negotiation;
• Defending your interests in court.

LEGAL ANALYSIS OF YOUR SITUATION OR THE STEPS ENVISAGED WITH REGARD TO LABOR LAW AND THE SWISS CIVIL SERVICE

Whether you are an employee or an employer, at the time of hiring, during the employment relationship, or even at the end of it in the context of a resignation or dismissal, you must be able to understand the implications of your choices and behaviors.

Indeed, in labor law many behaviors considered trivial and inconsequential are not.

For example, if you are an employer and you decide to grant your employees a bonus outside of the remuneration provided for in the employment contract, you risk in certain circumstances being opposed to this largesse. It follows that you will not be able to go back and that this bonus will be due for the future.

Similarly, if you as an employee do not object to your employer's announcement of a pay cut, you risk having your inaction imposed on you, which could be considered as tacit acceptance.

However, a wide range of the risks you face can often be avoided thanks to a proactive approach and relatively easy steps to implement.

In this context, we intervene to enlighten you with regard to your situation, the consequences of any actions you are planning, and the options available to you.

Our lawyers advise you on the complex issues of labor law and the Swiss civil service such as:

1. Right to salary, right to bonus and payment of overtime/overtime, right to vacation
2. Dispute of salary reduction
3. Dismissal issues - unfair, immediate or inopportune
4. Bankruptcy of the employer and right to indemnities for insolvent employer
5. Workers' rights in the context of mobbing, harassment and discrimination
6. Contesting the content of work certificates
7. Right to unemployment benefit and right to social insurance
8. Compliance of employment relationships with collective agreements and standard employment contracts
9. Problems of international, national and cantonal civil service law
10. Protection of personality in the context of employment relationships

DRAFTING AND REVIEW OF DOCUMENTS (EMPLOYMENT CONTRACT, CODE OF CONDUCT, STAFF REGULATIONS)

Drafting contractual and regulatory documentation governing employment relationships can be a daunting task, which requires knowledge and understanding of a thousand sheets of legal standards and provisions - such as federal laws, ordinances, collective labor agreements and others. standard contracts.

However, precise contractual documentation is essential in order to guarantee you many benefits, both economically and legally.

First of all, a written contract makes it possible to set a framework for the employment relationship between the parties, and to effectively derogate from the rules of operative law contained in the code of obligations which, very often, are not known and may be unsuitable. to the relationship you are considering.

In addition, good contractual and regulatory documentation provides you with an effective educational tool, by drawing a red line which delimits the expected behaviors and those which are not tolerated within the framework of the employment relationship, which makes it possible to avoid misunderstandings between the parts.

We work together with you and your human resources department, in order to assist you in drafting documentation that respects the standards of imperative law defining the relationship between employees and employers.

Our objective is to provide you with clear contractual tools adapted to your needs, and thus put you in a position to limit all the legal insecurities inherent in employment relationships.

Our lawyers assist you in the preparation of a multitude of documents such as:

1. Redundancy letter writing
2. Leave proposal
3. Notice from the employer
4. Opposition to leave
5. Opposition to salary reduction
6. Review and modification of work certificate

EMPLOYEE/EMPLOYER REPRESENTATION AND PRE-LITIGATION NEGOTIATION

Pre-litigation negotiation is often a solution that can allow you to avoid long, costly and, in many cases, public legal proceedings.

Indeed, during a procedure before the prud'hommes, the judges are limited in their decision-making power by the limits set by the law. Consequently, a victory at the industrial tribunal does not always make it possible to resolve the real problems which led to the launching of the procedure. Moreover, it very often risks turning out to be a Pyrrhic victory that cannot, depending on the circumstances, compensate for the financial and reputational impact of the procedure.

By contrast, the parties are much less restricted in the context of pre-litigation negotiations and can try to construct original solutions that go off the beaten path and go well beyond the simple question of monetary compensation.

It is therefore important that you take into consideration the advantages of negotiation prior to any legal proceedings to seize the opportunities that may arise.

Aware of the limits of the legal process , our lawyers offer you a creative but firm representation favoring the search for a negotiated solution that meets your interests and authentic needs.

Our lawyers assist you in particular by offering you the following negotiation services:

1. Negotiation in employee/employer disputes
2. Negotiation with the authorities at the cantonal conciliation offices
3. Negotiation with confidence groups, ombudsman and other internal conflict resolution bodies within the employer
4. External mediation

DEFENSE OF YOUR INTERESTS BOTH BEFORE LABOR COURTS AND AT ANY LEVEL OF JURISDICTION

When all the alternative approaches are unsuccessful, unfortunately all that remains is the legal procedure to enforce your rights. This is the ultimate means left to you to right injustices done to you and to ensure that what is legally due to you is actually given to you.

The legal route, however, is a cumbersome process that requires a long preparation consisting in particular in the collection of documents and the identification of possible witnesses to assert your version of the facts and your position.

In particular, labor law disputes are often linked to implicit behavior, the understanding of which depends a lot on the context and the feelings of the person experiencing them - for which it is therefore difficult to provide proof of the act.

To this, it should be added that, during the procedure, one finds oneself in a court facing judges whom one does not know and next to the opposing party, to answer questions felt to be intrusive and in the setting of events that can easily become emotionally charged.
For this reason, engaging in legal proceedings in labor law requires a particular effort both in terms of factual reconstruction and in defining the strategy to be adopted, of which one must be aware.

It is by taking into account these specificities as well as the psychological element which is inevitably brought into play, that our lawyers accompany you at all levels - from the procedure to the development of the strategy to be adopted until the final judgment. .

Our goal is to enforce your rights and provide you with effective representation before all judicial bodies, whether at the conciliation stage, before the industrial tribunal or in the event of appeal or recourse before higher authorities. .

Our lawyers assist you in particular in the following procedures:

• Civil procedure at the industrial tribunal
  1. Claim for payment of salary, bonus, overtime and other financial claims
  2. Claim for compensation for the damage suffered
  3. Claim for compensation for unfair dismissal or unjustified immediate dismissal
  4. Application for the issuance of a work certificate
  5. Action in the context of discrimination (action for cessation/declaration and compensation of damage)
  6. Defense under a non-competition clause
• Administrative procedure / civil service law:
  1. Defense in the context of disciplinary sanction / provisional suspension for investigation
  2. Recourse in the event of a decision to terminate service relationships
  3. Remedies against decisions that are discriminatory and violate the principle of equal treatment
  4. Recourse in matters of work certificate

Für den Erfolg eines unternehmerischen Projekts ist das effektive und vorausschauende Management zivilrechtlicher Fragestellungen im Gesellschaftsrecht ebenso bedeutsam wie unternehmerische Intuitionen.

Das schweizerische Gesellschaftsrecht ist in der Tat ein komplexes und multidisziplinäres Rechtsgebiet, dessen Beherrschung einen Überblick über die rechtlichen Fragestellungen – die unter anderem das Zivilrecht, das Verwaltungsrecht und das Steuerrecht berühren – sowie deren wirtschaftliche Auswirkungen erfordert.

Oftmals kann ein hastig und unüberlegt in Angriff genommenes Projekt langfristig gravierende Folgen haben. Dies geschieht beispielsweise, wenn die gewählte Gesellschaftsstruktur hinsichtlich steuerlicher, wirtschaftlicher oder zwischenmenschlicher Optimierung ungeeignet ist und strukturelle Blockaden verursacht.

Um Ihr Unternehmen vor leicht vermeidbaren Versäumnissen und Missverständnissen des Rechts zu schützen, empfehlen wir die Unterstützung durch einen auf Wirtschaftsrecht spezialisierten Anwalt. Dieser stellt eine verlässliche Hilfe dar, die Sie bei der Durchführung verschiedener Dienstleistungen wie der Gründung Ihres Unternehmens, der Kapitalbeschaffung, dem Eintritt in eine Partnerschaft, der Übertragung oder Liquidation Ihres Unternehmens unterstützen kann.

Im Bewusstsein der Bedürfnisse und Anforderungen einer Klientel aus Investoren und Unternehmerinnen und Unternehmern haben wir ein Kompetenzzentrum für Gesellschaftsrecht und ein Partnernetzwerk aufgebaut, das uns dank eines ganzheitlichen Ansatzes erlaubt, Sie in jeder Phase Ihres Projekts zu begleiten.

So stellen wir Ihnen die Schlagkraft zur Verfügung, die notwendig ist, um sich im dichten und mehrquelligen Material zurechtzufinden und dafür zu sorgen, dass Ihre Positionen angemessen verteidigt werden.

Unsere Dienstleistungen umfassen:

1. Rechtsberatung;
2. Übernahme der Verfahren zur Gründung und gegebenenfalls Liquidation von Gesellschaften;
3. Erstellung von Dokumenten (Gesellschaftsvertrag, Aktionärsbindungsvertrag, Statuten, Aktienkaufvertrag usw.);
4. Verhandlung und Vertretung vor Gericht.

RECHTSBERATUNG IM GESELLSCHAFTSRECHT

Egal, ob Sie die Gründung eines neuen Geschäftsprojekts planen oder sich an einem Scheideweg eines unternehmerischen Abenteuers befinden – unsere Anwältinnen und Anwälte bieten Ihnen eine Analyse sowie bereichsübergreifende und umsetzbare Handlungsmöglichkeiten, mit denen Sie pragmatische Entscheidungen im Dienst Ihrer Interessen treffen können.

Dank einer multidisziplinären Expertise im Steuerrecht, Wirtschaftsrecht und Wirtschaftsstrafrecht sowie einer ausgeprägten unternehmerischen Sensibilität begleiten unsere Teams Sie bei der Suche nach praktischen und konkreten Lösungen für den nachhaltigen Erfolg Ihres Unternehmens. Unser Ziel ist es, Ihnen alle Karten in die Hand zu geben, damit Sie funktionale Entscheidungen treffen können, die Ihre Projekte auf ruhige und informierte Weise zum Erfolg führen.

Wir bieten auch spezifische Unterstützung für Gründerinnen und Gründer im Hinblick auf den Umgang mit steuerlichen Fragestellungen, Finanzierungsbedarf und die Analyse der Risiken, die mit jeder Gesellschaftsstruktur (Aktiengesellschaft, PartG oder GmbH) verbunden sind. Wir setzen alles daran, eine substanzielle Steueroptimierung und zugleich eine begrenzte unternehmerische Risikobelastung zu erreichen. Sie konzentrieren sich auf das Geschäft. Gemeinsam machen wir Ihr Abenteuer zu einer Erfolgsgeschichte.

Wir betreuen zudem regelmäßig konsolidierte Unternehmensgruppen. Wir begleiten Umstrukturierungs- oder Akquisitionsprozesse, insbesondere dank einer bewährten Praxis in schweizerischen und internationalen Steuerfragen. Als erfahrene Spezialistinnen und Spezialisten im Bereich der Nachfolgeplanung bieten wir Ihnen ebenfalls die erforderliche Beratung, um steuerliche Fallstricke zu vermeiden, die sich aus dem Erbrecht ergeben, und so eine intelligente und geplante Übertragung Ihres Familienunternehmens sowie die Nachhaltigkeit Ihrer Bemühungen sicherzustellen.

Unsere Anwältinnen und Anwälte beraten Sie zu komplexen gesellschaftsrechtlichen Fragestellungen wie:

1. Festlegung der am besten geeigneten Struktur im Hinblick auf die Kapitalintensität des Projekts, die beteiligten Partner und Investoren sowie Ihre Risikobereitschaft;
2. Analyse der steuerlichen Auswirkungen der verschiedenen in Betracht gezogenen Strukturen sowie Suche nach Ansätzen zur steuerlichen Optimierung;
3. Feststellung der Blockierungs- und Kontrollverlustgefahren sowie der Methoden zu deren Vermeidung (d. h. Umsetzung eines Aktionärsbindungsvertrags, Partnervertrags oder einer Umstrukturierung des Aktienkapitals);
4. Einrichtung von Vorzugsaktienklassen sowie Fragen des Minderheitenschutzes;
5. Fragen im Zusammenhang mit der Kapitalbeschaffung (d. h. Obligationenanleihen, Darlehensverträge, Kapitalerhöhungen);
6. Organmängel und deren Konsequenzen;
7. Fragen zur Schutzfähigkeit des Firmennamens und zu unlauterem Wettbewerb;
8. Joint-Venture-Risikoanalysen und weitere Partnerschaftsbeziehungen.

VERFAHREN ZUR GRÜNDUNG UND LIQUIDATION EINER RECHTSPERSON

Wenn Sie einen Businessplan haben und wissen, wie Sie ihn umsetzen wollen, bleibt Ihnen nur noch, Ihr Unternehmen zu gründen.

Unabhängig von der Rechtsform ist die Gründung eines Unternehmens ein entscheidender Schritt in jedem unternehmerischen Abenteuer. In dieser Phase fallen strategische Entscheidungen, insbesondere durch die Genehmigung der Statuten. Sind diese einmal verabschiedet, ist eine Änderung schwierig und kostspielig. Jede Modifikation erfordert nicht nur eine qualifizierte Mehrheit der Generalversammlung, sondern auch die kostenintensive Beteiligung eines Notars.

Hinzu kommt, dass die Gründung einer neuen juristischen Person insbesondere im internationalen Kontext riskant sein kann, wenn verschiedene Stakeholder – Notar, Bank und Handelsregister – einzubinden sind. Ohne eine effektive und professionelle Koordination aller Parteien kann sich die Gründung Ihres Rechtsträgers erheblich verzögern, was wiederum zu Verzögerungen oder Blockaden beim Projektstart führen kann.

Wir sind uns der Herausforderungen und Schwierigkeiten bewusst, die diese zentrale Phase beim Start eines unternehmerischen Projekts prägen, und bieten daher einen massgeschneiderten, schlüsselfertigen Dienst für die Gesellschaftsgründung an. Wir übernehmen die juristische Seite sowie die notwendige Koordination für die Gründung, sodass Sie sich auf das Wesentliche konzentrieren können – den Erfolg Ihres Geschäftsprojekts.

Darüber hinaus unterstützen wir unsere Kunden auch bei Umwandlungs- und Liquidationsprozessen ihrer Unternehmen. In diesem Zusammenhang arbeiten wir daran, deren zivil- oder strafrechtliche Haftung so weit wie möglich zu begrenzen, die in der finalen Lebensphase der juristischen Person entstehen könnte.

Wir sind somit in der Lage, nicht nur rechtlich zu beraten, sondern auch sämtliche Liquidationsverfahren zu übernehmen – sei es als Liquidator oder als Unterstützung für diesen. Unser Ziel ist es, für eine reibungslose und umfassende Abwicklung zu sorgen.

Unsere Anwältinnen und Anwälte begleiten Sie durch:

1. Begleitung des Verfahrens von A bis Z und Koordination mit den verschiedenen Stakeholdern (z. B. Bank, Notar, Handelsregister);
2. Erstellung statutengemäßer Regelwerke, die auf Ihre Bedürfnisse zugeschnitten sind;
3. Implementierung eines gegebenenfalls notwendigen Aktionärsbindungsvertrags;
4. Erarbeitung organisatorischer Regelungen, die die Aufgabenverteilung zwischen Geschäftsführung und Verwaltungsrat festlegen;
5. Entwurf von Arbeitsverträgen für zukünftige Mitarbeitende und Umsetzung von Anreizsystemen (Incentive-Plänen) für Mitarbeitende.

ERARBEITUNG VON DOKUMENTEN (GESELLSCHAFTSVERTRAG, AKTIONÄRSBINDUNGSVERTRAG, STATUTEN, AKTIENKAUFVERTRAG USW.)

Ihr unternehmerisches Projekt ist einzigartig. Deshalb benötigt es einen massgeschneiderten Rahmen, der auf Ihre spezifischen Bedürfnisse abgestimmt ist.

Im Gesellschaftsrecht wird dieser Rahmen vor allem durch Vereinbarungen und Statuten festgelegt, welche die Regeln für den Betrieb der Gesellschaft definieren und folglich mit Sorgfalt entworfen und ausgearbeitet werden müssen. In der Praxis kommt es oft zu Problemen, weil kein schriftlicher Rahmen besteht, der die Beziehung formalisiert und die geltenden Regeln bestimmt, oder weil der vorhandene Rahmen schlicht nicht an die tatsächlichen Anforderungen des Projekts angepasst wurde.

Ein Beispiel: Bei einer einfachen Gesellschaft wird sehr häufig kein Vertrag zwischen den Partnern unterzeichnet, sodass deren Verhältnis automatisch durch das Obligationenrecht geregelt ist. Dies begründet jedoch eine gesetzliche Vermutung einer Gleichverteilung zwischen den Partnern (Art. 533 OR), die insbesondere dann ungeeignet ist, wenn zwischen den Partnern ein Ungleichgewicht hinsichtlich des Einsatzes und der Mittel besteht. In solchen Fällen stellt die Ausarbeitung eines maßgeschneiderten Gesellschaftsvertrags eine einfache, aber wirksame Lösung dar, um die vorhandenen Unterschiede zu berücksichtigen und so langfristig eine konstruktive Partnerschaft aufrechtzuerhalten.

Unter Berücksichtigung der von Ihnen gewählten Rechtsform sowie Ihrer Anforderungen und Prioritäten unterstützen Sie unsere Anwältinnen und Anwälte bei der strategischen Planung und der Ausarbeitung der nötigen Vereinbarungen, Statuten und sonstigen Verträge für die Organisation Ihrer Gesellschaft. Unser Ziel ist es, Ihr Projekt auf eine solide rechtliche Grundlage zu stellen, die Ihnen ein ruhiges Wachstum ermöglicht.

Unsere Anwältinnen und Anwälte unterstützen Sie bei der Erstellung zahlreicher Dokumente wie:

1. Erarbeitung von Statutenentwürfen;
2. Verfassung von Organisationsreglementen;
3. Erstellung von Aktionärsbindungsverträgen;
4. Ausarbeitung von Gesellschaftsverträgen;
5. Vertragsgestaltung für Vertriebsvereinbarungen;
6. Joint-Venture-Verträge.

VERHANDLUNG UND VERTRETUNG VOR RECHTLICHEN BEHÖRDEN IM GESELLSCHAFTSRECHT

Im Falle einer Pattsituation oder Meinungsverschiedenheit empfehlen wir einen pragmatischen und ergebnisorientierten Ansatz.

Wir empfehlen stets, zunächst Verhandlungen als Lösung zu suchen, um Konflikte zu entschärfen und eine zügige wie effektive Verteidigung Ihrer Position bestmöglich sicherzustellen.

Denn gerichtliche Verfahren sind nicht nur langwierig und kostenintensiv, sondern bieten oft nicht die notwendige Flexibilität, um auf die konkreten und spezifischen Anforderungen Ihrer Situation einzugehen. In diesem Zusammenhang kann eine gut strukturierte und durchdachte Verhandlung die Flexibilität schaffen, die erforderlich ist, um kreative Lösungen zu entwickeln, die über das hinausgehen, was ein Richter entscheiden kann, und pragmatische sowie maßgeschneiderte Konfliktlösungen aufzuzeigen.

Da es häufig nicht einfach ist, eine konfliktbeladene Situation zu bewältigen – oft mit starken emotionalen Komponenten –, kann die Unterstützung durch eine erfahrene Anwältin oder einen erfahrenen Anwalt in diesem Bereich eine neue Perspektive auf Ihr Problem eröffnen und Ihnen ermöglichen, den Konflikt aus einem anderen Blickwinkel anzugehen.

Wir begleiten Sie bei der Entwicklung einer auf Ihre Anforderungen zugeschnittenen Strategie und Verhandlungsplanung und vertreten Sie im Rahmen der Gespräche, um die bestmögliche Lösung für Sie und Ihr Unternehmen zu erzielen. Dabei verlieren wir Ihre geschäftlichen Ziele nie aus den Augen.

Obwohl Verhandlungen oft der effektivste Ansatz sind, ist dies leider keine absolute Gewissheit, denn manche Situationen lassen sich nur über den Rechtsweg klären. In diesem Fall gilt es, nicht abzuwarten. Im Gegenteil: proaktives Handeln führt oft zu einem raschen Urteil, das den Streit beilegt und die Situation klärt.

Ein Beispiel hierfür ist die Blockade einer Gesellschaft infolge eines Streits zwischen Aktionären. Eine in der Praxis zu häufige Lage ergibt sich, wenn die Besitzverhältnisse aus zwei Aktionären bestehen, die jeweils 50 % der Stimmen halten und sich in einer Beziehungskrise befinden. In einem solchen Fall bringt es nichts, sich in festgefahrenen Diskussionen zu verlieren: Es gilt, schnell zu handeln, um das Unternehmen zu retten.

Hierfür ist ein Antrag nach Art. 731b OR zu stellen und die Übernahme der Anteile des betreffenden Aktionärs über eine vom Richter angeordnete Versteigerung zu verlangen (ATF 142 III 629). Auf diese Weise kann man die Anteile des Aktionärs übernehmen, der das Unternehmen lähmt, und eine Auflösung der Gesellschaft verhindern, falls die Blockade bestehen bleibt.

Für jedes gerichtliche Verfahren arbeiten wir mit Ihnen und Ihrem Anwalt zusammen, um die für den Rechtsstreit relevanten Tatsachen zu identifizieren, Beweismittel zu sammeln und Ihre Position effektiv zu verteidigen. Wir sind überzeugt von diesem kooperativen Vorgehen, das es uns ermöglicht sicherzustellen, dass alle möglichen Angriffspunkte berücksichtigt werden und Ihre Erfolgschancen maximiert werden.

Unsere Anwältinnen und Anwälte unterstützen Sie durch Verhandlungs- und Mediationsleistungen, insbesondere in folgenden Situationen:

1. Konflikte zwischen Partnerinnen und Partnern und Blockade-Situationen;
2. Streitigkeiten zwischen Aktionärinnen und Aktionären im Falle von Blockaden oder in Verhältnissen zwischen Mehrheits- und Minderheitsaktionären;
3. Konflikte innerhalb des Verwaltungsrats oder zwischen Verwaltungsrat und Geschäftsführung;
4. Streitigkeiten zwischen Unternehmer und Investor.

Real estate law is a field of expertise that brings together various themes ranging from the construction of a building to the rental of a property , through the existence of real easements.

In Swiss law in particular, the various cantonal legislations and practices regularly overlap with federal legislation, which poses an additional degree of complexity.

In addition, the field of real estate affects a plurality of actors - owner, architect, developer and building contractor, subcontractor, lessor, tenant or even sub-tenant - whose interests are often in opposition and involve very specific risks.

It is therefore a complex branch of law with a strong technical connotation. It is to meet these challenges that the intervention of experienced lawyers aware of the stakes of each stakeholder may prove necessary, often in partnership with expert architects or engineers.

In this context, our lawyers specializing in real estate law and partner experts regularly intervene during:

• Real estate acquisition - Purchase
• Real estate acquisition - Sale
• Real estate acquisition by persons abroad (LFAIE)
• Building construction
• Renovation of real estate
• Lease - Contracts / Proceedings at the Court of Leases and Rents

They support you in all stages of your project or in the resolution of disputes through services such as:

• Legal analysis of your situation as owner, contractor, lessor or tenant;
• Drafting and review of documents such as deeds of sale, business contracts and lease contracts;
• Representation and negotiation with administrations and in the context of pre-litigation procedures;
• Defense of your interests in court.

LEGAL ANALYSIS FOR OWNER, CONTRACTOR, LESSOR OR TENANT

A real estate project is an ambitious and demanding adventure. If the Swiss market still offers opportunities for good business, the investments that must be made are significant - up to 20% equity in the context of the purchase of a house.

This therefore entails a high financial risk that should be identified upstream before it is too late.

In this context, in order to prepare you for any major decision-making, we intervene to provide you with a complete analysis of your situation and any legal risks. Whether it is the registration of a legal mortgage on your property by a subcontractor who would not have been paid by your contractual counterparty, or to define the means of evacuating undesirable squatters, we illustrate step by step the options available to you and the pitfalls to avoid.

Alongside our support for landlords, we regularly advise tenants by analyzing their legal situation and outlining the rights arising in particular from the rental or commercial lease contract .

Our goal is to present your situation to you in a clear and exhaustive manner in order to enable you to make informed decisions and to assist you in planning the stages of your project.

Our lawyers specializing in real estate law advise and assist you, among other things:

1. On the terms of ownership of real estate for non-residents (e.g. second homes, commercial real estate)
2. On the tax implications linked to the purchase of the property (eg analysis of the latent reserves linked to the property, method of taxation, etc.)
3. On the opportunities linked to the purchase of an investment building
4. On the risks associated with a purchase off plan (analysis of the general contractor contract, restriction on building permits, assessment of the risks associated with the constitution of a legal mortgage, etc.)
5. On the issues related to the purchase of a condominium apartment
6. On issues related to building authorities, land easements and other limited real rights
7. On the terms of financing the purchase of your property

DRAFTING AND REVIEW OF DOCUMENTS - SALES CONTRACT, BUSINESS CONTRACTS, MANDATE CONTRACT, LEASE CONTRACTS AND OTHERS

The multiplicity of legal and regulatory bases in Swiss real estate law - Code of Obligations, Law on Spatial Planning (LAT), SIA standard, LDTR, etc. - coupled with high investments and the large number of stakeholders who may take part in your project is a significant source of risk, which however you can limit. First of all by choosing a trusted partner or tenant with whom to do business, but also through the drafting of a contract helping you to define the framework of the relationship and thus your exposure to a good part of the legal risks inherent in your project.

In this context, we work with you to identify your needs and develop tailor-made contractual solutions , whether through a business contract, a mandate contract, or a lease contract.

Our goal is above all to ensure that no dispositive rule unsuited to your situation applies to your contract. Indeed, it is all too frequent that, failing to have dealt with certain aspects of the relationship through specific clauses inserted in their contracts, parties find themselves stuck by rules of Swiss law which apply by default from which they did not know of the existence and which end up preteritizing their interests.

Our lawyers specializing in real estate law assist you in drafting and reviewing, among other things, the following documents:

1. Real estate sales contract
2. Off-plan purchase contract
3. Constitutive act of PPE
4. Rules of co-ownership and PPE
5. Loan and guarantee agreement
6. General contractor contract
7. Architect mandate contract
8. Business contract
9. Letter of formal notice

REPRESENTATION AND PRE-LITIGATION NEGOTIATION WITH PARTIES AND BEFORE ADMINISTRATIONS

When your project has not gone as planned or your counterparty has not performed its obligations, negotiating a reasonable agreement that does not mortgage your rights while avoiding costly legal proceedings can be difficult.

In these situations, the support of a lawyer providing a detached view of the conflict, as well as experience in this type of negotiation with a technical connotation, is an important added value, even decisive in order to obtain the most advantageous agreement.

Moreover, having a solid expertise of the administrative procedure, our lawyers and advisers accompany you in front of the administrations in the intricacies of the authorization procedures, whether they relate to the construction of a villa or building, a expansion or repair project, or in the context of a change of destination of your property (ie from residential use to commercial use or from agricultural use to residential use and vice versa).

Our advice follows a firm approach while being open to the search for reasoned solutions. Our goal is to separate the parties from the problem in order to reduce the emotional influence on the negotiation and thus concentrate the efforts on the search for a pragmatic and reasoned solution.

Our lawyers assist you by offering the following negotiation services:

1. Negotiation in the context of a conflict related to a real estate transaction
2. Negotiation in the context of neighborhood disputes
3. Negotiating with administrations such as the territorial department to ensure that building permits are obtained
4. Negotiation with tax authorities
5. Negotiation in the context of conflicts related to a construction site with the various stakeholders
6. Establishment of a mediation procedure

DEFENSE OF YOUR INTERESTS IN COURT

If you have exhausted all possible extrajudicial steps , unfortunately, all that remains is legal action before the courts to enforce your position and your legitimate rights.

However, these steps, whether they are made before the administrative or civil courts or before the specialized courts for fines and rents, are often restrictive. For example, depending on the dispute, the collection of evidence can take on daunting proportions due to the multitude of documents to be processed and the expertise to be undertaken.

This results in procedures which, in addition to being stressful, long and time-consuming, are often very costly.

It is by taking into account all the difficulties specific to the real estate field that our lawyers prepare you for the battle that is the legal procedure.

We support you at every stage of the trial, whether at the initial stage, during the collection of exhibits, during the written phase and finally during the hearings. Our goal is to provide you with solid representation so that you can achieve your goal and navigate through the stages of the legal process as calmly as possible.

Our lawyers specializing in real estate law support you in the following procedures in particular:

1. Claim action
2. Negative action
3. Action for exclusion from the community of co-owners
4. Action to cease the disturbance in the event of interference from a neighbor (e.g. noise, smoke blocking of a view)
5. Action in constitution of lien (right of way and other easements)
6. Action, cancellation of an easement, change of base of an easement
7. Challenge of a decision of the assembly of a PEP as well as appointment and dismissal of the administrator of a PEP
8. Registration of a legal mortgage of the community of owners
9. Defense in connection with the registration of a legal mortgage for artisans and contractors
10. Negotiating with administrations such as the territorial department to ensure that building permits are obtained
11. Setting up a mediation
12. Warranty action for defects in the thing sold or payment of the sale price as well as actions for damages
13. Request or opposition to a building permit
14. Procedure for regularizing an unauthorized construction
15. In the context of an expropriation procedure